OECD Launches Real-Time Shipping Tracker to Monitor Global Trade Disruptions

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is launching a new digital platform designed to monitor disruptions in global goods trade in near real time by analyzing global vessel traffic data.

The platform, developed by the OECD’s statistics division and scheduled to go live this week, tracks the movement of 23 commodity groups worldwide across nearly 30,000 terminals in more than 4,100 ports.

Using Automatic Identification System (AIS) vessel signals, image analysis and network modeling, the system identifies shipping routes and commodity flows most vulnerable to disruption, offering governments, traders and shipping markets an early-warning mechanism during periods of geopolitical or logistical instability.

The initiative comes amid heightened concerns over maritime security and global supply chain resilience, including recent tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz and growing fears of disruptions to critical energy and trade corridors.

According to the OECD, the platform has already demonstrated its ability to detect short-term trade disturbances. Officials cited the temporary disruption to UK imports following the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge in 2024 as an example of how the system can capture economic impacts significantly faster than traditional trade statistics.

While the organization stressed that the indicators are not intended to replace official trade data, it said the platform offers “valuable and complementary insights into trade dynamics,” particularly during periods of heightened uncertainty or rapid market shifts.

The OECD added that one of the tool’s most significant advantages is its ability to identify “turning points, disruptions and emerging trends long before conventional data becomes available.”

Analysts say the platform could become increasingly important as governments and businesses seek faster intelligence on shipping bottlenecks, sanctions risks, infrastructure failures and geopolitical flashpoints affecting global commerce.

The organization acknowledged several methodological limitations, including weaker visibility into containerized cargo risks and delays in global imaging updates. Nevertheless, it described the platform as a major step forward in real-time trade intelligence and maritime risk assessment.

The new shipping tracker will be publicly accessible through the OECD’s official website starting Monday.